Dept of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD)

The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) operates under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and serves as the Government of India's nodal department for the livestock and dairy sectors. These sectors underpin rural incomes and India's standing as the world's largest milk producer. From its New Delhi headquarters, DAHD formulates policy and administers schemes covering cattle and buffalo breeding, dairy infrastructure, poultry, feed and fodder, and animal health.

For entrepreneurs, DAHD runs the Startup Grand Challenge in animal husbandry and dairying, which funds innovative work in digital livestock monitoring, quality testing, supply-chain efficiency, waste-to-wealth and animal nutrition. Winners receive grant funding, mentoring and pilot opportunities with established cooperatives. Among its principal schemes are the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), a ₹15,000 crore fund extending interest subvention and credit support for dairy and meat processing, feed plants and breed-improvement infrastructure; the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) and Rashtriya Gokul Mission, both aimed at breed development and strengthening milk cooperatives; and the National Livestock Mission, which carries entrepreneurship and capital-subsidy components for poultry, sheep, goat, piggery and feed ventures.

Startups, FPOs, cooperatives, individual entrepreneurs and MSMEs active in livestock, dairy, poultry, feed and allied value chains qualify under the relevant schemes. Founders developing livestock-tech, dairy-tech, animal-health or feed and nutrition solutions in search of non-dilutive grants, subsidised credit and pilot access should track DAHD's Startup Grand Challenge and scheme notifications at dahd.nic.in.